SIGAPITON, Indonesia In mid-August, when Mangatas Togi Butarbutar visited an ancestor’s grave in this village on the shores of Indonesia’s biggest lake, he had to tread carefully. Though the area had long been claimed by his Indigenous community, known as the Pomparan Ompu Ondol Butarbutar, construction of a government office building was in progress. […]
Indonesia’s plantation program on collision course with wildlife, Indigenous groups
Indonesia’s food estate program threatens to overlap onto habitats of key species like orangutans and tigers in Sumatra, according to a government map.
Environmental activists warn this could exacerbate human-wildlife conflicts, and have criticized the lack of an environmental assessment before the start of the program.
Also at threat are forests that Indigenous communities rely on for their livelihoods, with the government again failing to involve them in the planning process.
The government claims it mapped the food estate areas in a way to minimize disturbances to known wildlife habitats.